"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

No time now to explain where I’m going this evening, another one of those UNDISCLOSED LOCATION missions, but before I rattle the tip jar for the Shoe Leather Fund, let me update you on Wombat. Our fearless co-blogger, wielder of the Mighty Troll Hammer, was hospitalized last week as the result of a serious infection which caused complications with his blood sugar levels and blood pressure (“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Wombat Hospitalized, Could Use Your Help,” Oct. 29). He has now been transferred from the hospital to a “critical care facility” which, he explained to me in a phone call today, is what used to be called a nursing home. He’s apparently the youngest patient there, as they continue treating him with antibiotics and waiting for the infection to clear up. Wombat is now ambulatory, and wanted me to express his thanks to everyone who kicked in to his GoFundMe to help with his expenses. And speaking of expenses . . .

As much as I’d like to tell you where I’ll be this evening, I can’t, and I also can’t tell you why I can’t tell you, but by 3 p.m. today I hope to be on the road, and if y’all want to kick in a little — gasoline is $2.67 a gallon, cigarettes are about $6 a pack — it would help keep my wife happy. Because the Five Most Important Words in the English Language are: